The Raspberry Pi 4 and the failed USB-C port
11.7.2019
Translation: machine translated
The new Raspberry Pi 4 is powered by a USB-C port. However, as the manufacturer confirms, this port has its faults. The consequences: with certain cables, the Raspberry will not react.
Tyler Ward first drew attention to the problem in his Blog. Meanwhile, Raspberry Pi co-founder Eben Upton confirmed Tyler's findings in a interview.
Where's the rub?
If the Raspberry Pi Foundation had stuck to the official USB-C specification, this wouldn't have happened. The problem at the charging port is that a resistor is split between two pins where two resistors would be provided at the base. This means that cables such as those used in MacBooks and Thunderbolt-compatible cables are not recognised correctly. So-called 'e-market' cables contain additional chips that manage functions such as power consumption and automatically detect various accessories. If such a cable is connected to the Raspberry Pi 4, the computer will be recognised as an audio adapter accessory due to its split resistance and will not receive any power.
Eben Upton of the Raspberry Pi Foundation told TechRepublic that he expects the issue to be resolved by a future revision. To solve the problem, users have no choice but to rely on cables without e-market markings.
The new Raspberry Pi 4 launched on 24 June 2019 and brings more power, 60Hz UHD support and more. So DIY enthusiasts everywhere can rejoice. Or they'll rejoice once they hold the little gem in their hands; because right now it's almost unavailable.
More information about the new Raspberry Pi 4 can be found here:
Updated 12 July 2019
As many users have asked for links to compatible cables, there's a bit of advertising in addition to the news.
With a lot of luck, I was able to get hold of a Raspberry Pi 4. It arrived the day before yesterday and I quickly tested it.
The following accessories work without a hitch in my home:
On the official side (Raspberry Pi Foundation), the following power supply and cable are offered:
And our Category Management offers the following cables:
By the way, I'll be putting the Raspberry Pi 4 through its paces soon. If you'd like to see, after my holiday, how the Raspi 4 fares as a media player (keyword Kodi), feel free to follow my author profile.
Martin Jud
Senior Editor
martin.jud@digitecgalaxus.chI find my muse in everything. When I don’t, I draw inspiration from daydreaming. After all, if you dream, you don’t sleep through life.
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